One particular application of the present invention is in the automotive industry where oil is stored in a bulk tank and supplied to a work area through for example a pipe system and hose reel. The fluid dispensing device permits the amount of oil being dispensed to be controlled. It will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art that the dispensing device of the present invention could be used in a variety of applications and as such reference to the aforementioned particular application is not to be taken as a limitation on the scope of the present invention.
Fluid dispensing devices for controlling the discharge of fluid are known. Generally such devices include a control valve and meter through which fluid to be dispensed is passed and a display providing a reading of the quantity of fluid dispensed and/or required to be dispensed. In some currently known dispensing devices the required amount of fluid to be dispensed can be indicated on the display. The device can thereafter be activated so that fluid can be discharged from the device until the selected amount of fluid has been discharged. Once this has been achieved the device is adapted so as to stop the flow of fluid being discharged.
Known devices include electronic systems by which the quantity of fluid required to be dispensed can be set and subsequently stopped. A problem with electronic systems is that they can be relatively expensive and prone to damage particularly where the environment of use leads to rough handling of equipment. Mechanical systems have also been proposed but these are usually in the form of a settable rotary dial which have a limited accuracy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing device which alleviates one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.